UK ingredients firm Brusco has developed a new stem ginger that has enabled Beech’s Fine Chocolates to improve the company’s enrobing process for its series of confectionery.

Traditionally, chocolatiers use stem ginger for enrobing to deliver the soft and smooth texture desired when biting into a chocolate.

Brusco, which provides a range of bulk ingredients, has supplied a powder coated, pre-diced ginger to avoid the sticky and messy manufacturing problems which delay production and add to change over times.

Beech’s had reportedly been looking to stop using ginger in syrup because of the very lengthy and sticky process involved in boiling off the syrup followed by double coating in cocoa powder and chocolate.

However, thanks to successful product trials with Brusco’s pre-coated and pre-diced crystallised ginger, working with the ingredient became cleaner, easier, and more cost-effective by improving yield and reducing waste.

With regard to the taste and texture of the finished chocolates, Brusco’s ginger has a smooth surface with no crunchy sugar crystals that are typical of crystallised ginger. The smooth powder coating brings double satisfaction for confectioners as its delicate nature allows the full flavour of ginger to flourish while avoiding a finished product that is too sweet.

Peter Whiting, managing director of Beech’s ,said: “Getting the ginger in the right size, with the right amount of sugar coating we liked a lot – especially at the very competitive price Brusco offers. We have been impressed by their punctuality, reliability and communication. In support terms, their customer service has always been excellent as they are easy to work with and good at keeping in touch. We would certainly consider them as a future supplier as we know we can totally rely on them.”

Brusco has also launched a reduced sugar range of crystallised ginger with a 10% reduction in sugar content and with lower carbohydrate values than the conventional crystallised version. It is ideally suited for inclusion in any product where a strong flavour hit is desired but calories need to be lowered.

“We are constantly working with our customers to find innovative solutions that reduce production costs. We believe these new ginger products can deliver benefits in many product applications and support the ongoing requirement to reduce sugar levels in products,” said Brusco’s managing director, Andrew Ashby.